


The Witch to your Lord

by Midgardian_Girl



Category: DC Animated Universe (Timmverse), Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016), Son of Batman (2014), Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Not Beta Read, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:40:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23634001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Midgardian_Girl/pseuds/Midgardian_Girl
Summary: Damian is the grandson of the Lord of the Society of Ghoul, and he was promised to the Queen of the Kingdom of Azarath. He will do anything to not go through with it, or so he thinks. When he gets there, his mind changes, even before he sees HER. And when he sees her, well... he's doomed.
Relationships: Raven/Damian Wayne
Comments: 34
Kudos: 153





	1. Chapter 1

It was unknown to people that there were two hidden civilizations in the world; The Society of Ghoul and Kingdom of Azarath. Both civilizations were unknown to one another. Azarath and Ghoul were located close to each other, but in a place that the “outside” world could not find. Anytime they got close to such place, planes went missing and ships would sink. At some point in history, on maps and books, the location was said to be explored with nothing to be found.

\-----*-----

He had long lost the feeling of his limbs. His fingertips already calloused from years of training and wounds, along with the cold and hard rock. He kept his breath steady, although he had been climbing that mountain for a few hours now. Despite barely feeling his arms and legs due to the effort and the oh so merciless cold, Damian kept going. Hosting himself up again and again until he was on the top. He did this every morning, at sunrise, since he was a child. This was nothing new to him anymore. In all honesty, the young man just couldn’t wait for the morning climb every day.

At the last point to his climb, the so trusty rock Damian already knew by heart had given its last moment, for when he grabbed it to pull himself up to the final, it gave out. Stupidly, Damian wasn’t expecting it and his feet slipped. He was quick to catch himself however, but not before he cut his fingers, arm and stomach, his clothes getting soaked rather quickly. Blood gushed out of his body, following down his body curves and into the abyss of the mountain. He paid no mind; his goal was the top of the mountain and was going to get there. Besides, his pain sensibility had been trained since young, it hurt, yes, but he could keep going. In a last effort, Damian made it. He stood up on the snow and dusted off his naked hands, getting blood all over them. He finally looked down his wounds; stretching the hole he had on his vest to see his stomach. A few more scars to the collection. He cleaned his hands to his pants, noticing the blood sinking in the snow around him. Just then, above him Damian heard a flap of wings. He looked up and stretched his arm as the snow Owl sank its claws on the leather arm piece he wore. A message that he was being summoned back.

Damian cursed under his breath as he sent the Owl back to his mother when he saw a man from his guard in a horse, bring along his own.

\-----*-----

“Is it me or are you getting slower climbing the mountain?” Talia said as he saw her son enter his room. She had been waiting for him since he sent the guard and owl.

“I had… an accident.” Damian answered quietly as he unbuckled his arm bracelets, vest and belt. He then took off his cloak and robe, revealing the deep wounds on his body. The blood was getting dry around it, but there was still blood streaming down his body.

“Seriously, Damian,” Talia said, annoyance on every inch of her voice. “We are going to introduce you and you show up like this?” She said as she stood up from the chair and slapped Damian’s arm away from the wound in his stomach. The woman snapped her fingers a couple of times and maids rushed in. “Patch him, bathe him and dress him. He needs to practice.”

“…Practice?” Damian frowned as the maids started to clean and stitch his wounds. “I need practice for what? The dinner? “

“No complains son,” Talia said. “We are uniting two different civilizations, everything has to go perfectly. The Kingdom of Azarath sent out a representative to teach you their ways.”

“Their ways?” The young man said angrily. “I’m not-“

“And you WILL learn, boy.” Talia slid the door shut brutally.

Damian groaned again as he closed his fist and punched the wall next to him, leaving a rather big dent. The maids around them jump at the movement but he didn’t care.

The Society of Ghoul and the Kingdom of Azarath were to become one by marriage. And him, being the grandson of the Lord and the only “obvious” possibility was chosen to become the husband of the Queen. For the little he knew, actually, she was not even a Queen. She was a sorcerer, a witch; the strongest and most divine one in the kingdom, making her the mighty Ruler of the Kingdom of Azarath.

After being patched up, the maids bathe him with a sponge cleaning the rest of the dried out blood. Despite the weather conditions, the snowy mountains, the cold rains and the harsh wind, Damian’s skin was tanned. His mother and grandfather were tanned too, a deep contrast with the rest of the people on Ghoul. They were all white as snow, Damian though has he looked at the little to be seen skin on the maids.

The mountains surrounded the whole Society, the houses, the greenhouses, the animal farms, the training grounds and the castle. The people lived mostly in harmony now. Damian learned that in the early years of the Society, while the rules were being made by the Lord, there were a lot of objections. The rule that when the children reached the age of teenage, they were to be deployed to the training grounds; no exceptions, caused a lot of havoc. If the child was deemed deformed and unable to perform the activities done in the camps due to sickness, they were to be left alone, in isolation until their death, so they could not reproduce the deformity or sickness. The people were enraged, but it had been centuries since the rules were made and most had just forgotten. Those rules simply became tradition with time.

Damian trained his whole life. Since he could walk, and even that was pretty early, his mother made him train. By now, in the age of adulthood, he was skilled in many fields. Any weapon that fell on his hands, he had already mastered it, if he got stranded somewhere in the mountains with no way to go back, he knew how to survive. But the young man also knew his manners; he was a prince after all. He knew how to talk, behave and eat properly. He also picked up piano, as strange as that sounds.

After a while, the maids bowed their heads and stepped back from him and Damian took a look in the mirror. He had his full royal outfit: he wore his black jacket with golden highlights, along with his dark green pants and black boots that also had golden highlights. On his shoulders, he had his armor pads that locked his black and green cape.

“It’s good,” Damian said to the maids and they left quickly and soundlessly.

\-----*-----

“No, no, NO” The man shrieked behind his ear. Damian’s eyebrow twitched, he was close to just stabbing the man in the eye with the fork. “You absolutely cannot pick up your glass like that in front of the Azar. So brutally...”

Damian took a deep breath and picked up the glass once more, this time slowly and he even added the pinky up.

The Azarathian smiled at that as he continued to walk around the table Damian sat at. He groaned internally as he rolled his eyes while the man continued to talk about Azarath, its traditions and its culture. Something that Damian didn’t care about at all. Besides, he planned to just get this done with. He didn’t need to see her that often for him to have to change his ways.

“…The Azar will look at you and analyze with her amazing power.” The man continued. He was tall and slim, like a mythical creature. He was pale like his people in Ghoul, had blond hair up in a ponytail that was braided all the way down to his waist, the braid itself resting on his shoulder. He wore a simple white robe, with a hood over his head. He held his face high, his pointy nose poking out from his hood whenever he was turned on his side. Damian failed to catch his name, he didn’t care.

“Why do you call her ‘The Azar’?” Damian asked as he sat down his glass and picked up his knife.

“Ah, good question,” The man smiled with his pearly white teeth. Damian made a face of disgust. “The ‘Azar’ is the title passed down from generation to generation. She is our Queen, our Ruler and our most powerful Sorcerer.”

“A witch,” Damian mumbled.

The slender man then slammed his hand on the table brutally and loudly.

“NEVER call the Azar a WITCH!” He said angrily. “It is very different from what you think.”

Damian just blinked, unfazed.

“Damian,” A deep voice that the young man recognized quickly to be from his grandfather came from behind him. Damian quickly stood up and turned to his Lord, bowing his head in the process. “Do respect the ways of your future wife.”

“Yes, grandfather,” Damian said. “I apologize.”

“I know that you are not too happy with this arrangement,” The old Lord continued. Despite his age, that already counted centuries, Ra’s Al Ghul was rather young in appearance. He looked to be in his late 50s. “So I will grant you a chance, dear grandchild.”

Damian frowned and looked up at his grandfather, with a questionable look on his face.

“When you met her and if you do not like the arrangement still,” Ra’s continued. “I will take you out of the offer and instead, give out your uncle.”

“Uncle Dusan?” Damian said with a raised eyebrow.

The man, Dusan Al Ghul looked even older than his own father. He definitely needs a bath to go back the years he needed. Damian heard that the Queen was a young woman, no secret behind it, maybe only a few years older than himself; so, to give out such an old bag of a person as a husband to such a young person? Even to him it sounded disgusting. He hated his uncle anyways.

“I accept,” Damian nodded and bowed again. “Thank you.”

He also hated this whole marriage thing, so if he could get out of it, he would.

“…What?” The Azarathian designed to teach Damian spoke from behind him. “That was not the deal, my Lord, it-“

Damian quickly brought his hand out and with it, a small blade came from of his glove; he was fast to put it near the man’s neck.

“It is fine, Damian,” Ra’s dismissed calmly; however, when he addressed to the Azarathian, his voice grew cold and poisonous. “I know what it is in the deal and what it is not; you do not have to tell me such.”

Damian then relaxed as he watched his grandfather leave the room. He looked back at the man and saw a thin line where his blade sat earlier. However, the Azarathian wasn’t bothered by the cut on his own neck.

Again, Damian did not care.

“Then, what was all this training for?” He asked Damian as he sighed.

“There’s always space for knowledge, I guess.” The young man said before leaving him behind.

\-----*-----

The ceremony was to take place on Azarath the next day. 

Early in the night, the crew was already in motion. The way to Azarath was beyond the mountains, into the forest after the snowy rocks and right after the river. It was almost a day’s journey; they were expected to arrive at night, for the ceremony dinner.

Along the crew, went several guards, a carriage that brought inside Ra’s Al Ghul and his daughter Talia and another smaller carriage with gifts for the Azarathians too. Damian rode on his own horse, beside the carriage with his family. He wore his full suit again, this time with his weapons buckled to his belt. His uncle Dusan rode his horse on the other side of the carriage, at least Damian didn’t need to his ugly face that way.

The ride along the mountains was a hard one. On top of the mountain the wind was harsh and freezing. The guards could barely maintain the lanterns from flying away. The vision wasn’t has hard and they still had the moon above them to guide them too, but it didn’t make it any easier.

Damian actually enjoyed these travels. It had been years since he was to get out beyond the mountains. He never went to Azarath before, but his mother did. She told him that the buildings were all mostly made from marble. There were many pillars along the main road of the city too, showing the previous ‘Azar’; his mother called the city beautiful. He was actually curious see that too.

In the middle of the night, the snowy road switched to hard rock.

At some point, Damian had gone in auto pilot; he was used to stay awake for days and days, alert at all times, a simple walk in the night was nothing. However, the loss of blood he suffered early the day before and the rhythmic strut of the horse was lulling him into a conscious rest. However, said rest was disturbed by a rustling in the bush right next to him. Damian jumped alert and stopped his horse right away as he inspected the bush, a small rabbit coming out of it. Its fur was a light brown color which made the young man raise an eyebrow. Just how far had he travelled semi-conscious? Rabbits around the snowy mountains were pure white and since this rabbit had its warm colored fur already…. Damian looked behind his back and saw the mountains between thousands of trees, as far as he saw them from his room window in the castle. The sun already starting to rise from behind them, making the sky brighter and bright, like he had never seen before; Damian frowned as to why the heck was he started to notice these things now. How colorful the sky is? What?

“….Sir?”

The prince jolted slightly to look at the guard that had called him. He was the back guard, the last one on the crew to make sure no one got lost ahead.

“Is everything okay?” He asked.

Damian looked ahead to see the rest of his people a few meters away from them. He blinked a few times, confused. There was something wrong.

He had never been unaware of his surroundings; it’s like he’s finding new things that had always been there. And now he’s losing track of what’s happening right around him. He didn’t even noticed being left behind. He was never behind.

Damian felt… Relaxed…

The guard next to him brought a whistle to his lips and blew for a few seconds, bringing everyone to a halt. All the horses and carriages stopped; the ones closer to them, turning around their horses to see what had happened.

“What- What did you do that for?” Damian slapped the whistle out of the guard’s hand, which quickly caught it with the other hand. “I’m fine!”

Damian groaned as he kicked his horse’s side so it would run. As it ran, he heard the guard whistle again and the crew continued its course. He ran past the carriage that his mother and grandfather were on and moved to the very start of the line. They still had a few kilometers of forest ahead of them to pass through.

After a few hours, Damian felt stupid. It was like he was seeing trees and leafs for the first time, bushes and insects, deer and stags, rabbits and birds. He heard everything and saw everything like they were the strangest things he’s ever seen. It was like he felt everything although he was far from everything.

And then, Damian remembered.

They were getting closer to Azarath; and getting closer to the Azar, the greatest sorcerer “in existence”. This forest must be enchanted or cursed or whatever and Damian’s natural instincts were more alert than never; because although inside, he was starting to get affected by it, his internal instincts were kicking in. Now, that he was aware that, it was like his eyes were no longer clouded. Everything was back to normal in his eyes.

Somehow, he missed the wonder he felt.

Damian narrowed his eyes as he started to see marble stones between the trees. Some were statues and he even found greenhouses; but not like the ones he had on his Society. These ones were made of marble, iron and glass. The stone was brightly colored with blue and green, some plants even poked out from the glass, like people made the wholes on purpose for the plants to poke through. They didn’t look abandoned, but they were wild looking and at the same time, clean.

The more they moved onward, the more greenhouses they saw, some big, some small; inside the flora differed in color and form. And then came the animals; cows, chickens and ducks, freely moving around a big lake. Damian saw some dogs and cats too, all of them friendly, coming near the houses and carriages like loyal pets. There was this specific huge black dog that strutted around Damian’s horse, looking ahead. No matter where he turned the horse to, the dog followed. A robin sat down on Damian’s shoulder plate, chirping happily before flying off again with some other birds. They also flew low, almost hitting his hair with the flap of their wings.

Everything here screamed “friend”.

Damian felt like he wanted to relax, but did the exact opposite. He put a hand on the hilt of his sword.

The young man looked behind his back and saw the front guard not far from him, animals starting to follow him too. It wouldn’t be long after they had dogs and cats all around every horse and carriage. He wondered how they would react. He was definitely weirded out.

The sun was already high above them when the top of the marble walls could be seen. By then, Damian stopped his horse and waited for the rest to catch up to him. He would continue when the carriage bringing his mother came close enough for him to talk. He noticed the dog sat down next to the horse and he was tempted to pet it. With the size of it, he wouldn’t have to bend too low just to reach it. He didn’t do anything in the end.

\-----*-----

“We are arriving mother,” Damian said as he rode along the carriage, whose window was open and he could see a small bit inside. “I thought Azarath was farther away.”

“Hm, I see that you made a new friend,” Talia mused as she looked at the dog and smirked at him. “Excited to meet your soon-to-be wife?”

Damian frowned at her and said nothing else.

Soon they were passing the gates. They were open like inviting every stranger that passed by; yet again, it seemed that the invitation started long ago in the forest. The gates itself were just normal wood and iron, attached to the pillars, bigger than any tree they passed by; yet again, so was were the walls. Huge smooth milky stone surrounded the Kingdom, or so Damian assumed because they went on and on.

The people moved away from the main road, which they were entering from; bowing their heads as they walked on. They wore white robes and they were all hooded; minus the children; they simply wore the robe loose, they were all also bare foot and as Damian noticed, even the whole floor of the Kingdom was marble. Ahead of the crew, besides the front guard, was the man instructed to teach Damian “how to eat” in front of the Azar, leading them to the castle, although he didn’t think there was any need for guidance.

Unlike the Society of Ghoul, whose castle was built within a wall of the mountain, the castle of the Kingdom of Azarath was right in the middle of the city. It looked like a temple, bright and tall; the roof was made of glass and shone under the sunlight. It had multiple floors and balconies and some corridors could be even be seen from the glass windows and doors.

An easy target, Damian thought.

The city itself was also made of marble; every building was white with bits of some other colors like blue or pink. Marble was cold stone but somehow the city was hot, hence the light robes, Damian thought as his skin was starting to burn from the heat his black suit was attracting.

The Kingdom wasn’t quiet either. Unlike Ghoul, actually, completely on contrary of Ghoul, Damian could hear light chatter, laughter and peace. If peace had any sound at all. In Ghoul, all you heard was grunts from the hard workers and cries of pain when they were hurt or sad.

Somehow, that contrast made his stomach turn.

“I told you the city was beautiful, don’t you think?” Talia said from beside him and Damian looked over at her. “However the people are too… joyous. I’m sure we’ll be able to change that once you’re their King.”

\-----*-----

Upon arrival at the entrance, which was at least 50 meters high and covered in a line of symbols around, Damian unmounted his horse and gave the reins to an Azarathian guard. The rest of the crew did the same apart for some of his own guards, who stayed on each side of the entrance. Ra’s Al Ghul and Talia left the carriage too, Dusan leaving his horse too with another guard. Inside, everything was huge. The stairs, the walls, the halls and the entrances to the other rooms; there were pillars almost in every corners with more symbols that Damian had never seen.

Down the stairs came a group of five people, hooded with white robes, hands grasped together and silent. When they got close to Damian’s grandfather, all five people looked over their hoods and smiled sweetly. On contrary of Damian’s thoughts, they didn’t look creepy when they smiled. They looked friendly.

“We do not accept weapons in the Azar’s Sanctuary, please hand them over to our guards.” One of them said. “They will keep your possessions safe.”

Damian snorted.

“Our weapons shall stay with us at all times, no discussion there,” Ra’s said politely and calmly. “Along with our possessions, we brought gifts for your Azar. We hope she will like them.”

“Understood,” Another said.

“We appreciate greatly your gifts,” A third one said, motioning one of the guards to follow the cargo that went to the stables.

“The great Azar is expecting you a little later on, until then you will be introduced to your rooms.” Upon saying that, four of the five people left in separate ways. “Will you follow me please?” The remaining one said.

When Ra’s nodded in agreement, the royal of Ghoul followed the person, along with a few guards that were to stay at the entrances of each room. They took them through the long staircase and then to the left, to more stairs. Everything was white, with lines of pink incorporated in the marble itself, along the stairs a golden line followed the walls and more symbols were added to it too.

“Lord Ra’s Al Ghul, this is your room,” The person said once they stopped, at a huge hallway. There was no door, only a white sheet to cover the privacy of the person inside. “If there is anything else needed, you can call one of our care takers and they will aid you.”

Ra’s frowned a bit at the white sheet used for a door but made no comment, he simply nodded. But he was clearly unsatisfied. Two guards were quick on their feet to inspect the room and when they came back out, each one stood at each side of the entrance.

“Lady Talia, your room is the one right next your father’s,” The person then pointed at the next entrance that also had a white sheet. “The same conditions follow for you too, if anything is needed, you can call one of your caretakers.”

Talia walked along the hall to her door and before she entered, two guards walked in first to inspect. Upon their arrival she nodded in thanks.

“And Lord Dusan, as for your room, it is the one on the other side of your father’s.” The person said lastly. “Same conditions apply.”

Again, the guards did the inspection and the room was accepted.

When the person continued walking however, Ra’s was quick to stop them.

“And where is my grandson to stay?” He asked, a annoyance in his voice.

“As our future King,” The person turned to answer and smiled. “We have a special room in the upper floor, near our Azar’s chambers.”

“And when am I going to have a meeting with her?”

“As soon as the Azar finishes her meditation, Lord.” The person bowed. “A guard will call for you and take you to the meeting room then.”

Ra’s sighed and entered his room, Talia and Dusan following for their respective rooms.

Damian groaned inward at the fact that he was going to get separated. He wasn’t scared or worried; he just preferred to be near his grandfather in case an attack was to happen he would be there to fight. Although he trusted his mother’s skills to protect him, the young man didn’t trust his uncle at all.

The person took him to even more stairs and to glass roof was getting closer and closer. Damian looked around a lot. On one side of the stair you had a wall and the occasional hall, one of those halls was where his family stayed, but on the other side everything was open to the entrance. They were getting farther from the ground floor which Damian saw that as a way to big jump to survive in case of anything. He would have to both flee from the roof and find some way around there or slide the stair rail all the way down. This sounded fun, but not very convenient.

“And here, Lord Damian, is your room,” The person said as they stopped at the very end on the castle tower, at the very last entrance of the hallway. Damian didn’t want to admit but he was tired both mentally and physically. After his guards checked the room, he moved away the white sheet to inspect himself.

The room was huge. It was like the architect that built this castle had some issues with measurements. Right in front of the entrance, on the other side of the room was a window the size of the wall itself with no doors or glass, which had a small balcony. The walls, although made of marble also, were a light blue. They were also covered in transparent green sheets that had golden linings and symbols. On one side was a bed as large as the wall, a fluffy looking silver mattress laying on it with so many pillows Damian didn’t even bother to count. On the other, there was a marble table with basin, next to it a jug full of water that steamed; a few colored candles and towels.

Damian looked back at the person who guided him and nodded in approval.

“Once the meeting between the Azar and your grandfather is over with, a caretaker will come to you with fresh clothes and towels.” They said. “Until then, please rest.” He bowed and left.

The young man looked at both his guards that stood on each side of the entrance and sighed, going inside his room.

Damian walked into the small balcony and looked over at the view. He could see the whole city, the forest and the mountains. The wind blew calmly and warm, which he wasn’t used to so it felt weirdly good on his skin. It smelled nice too, like flowers and incense. The whole atmosphere felt light on his shoulders and he took a deep breath, taking in what was strange to him and welcoming it.

The sun was warm against his skin and brighter that he’d ever seen.

Damian liked it here.

The young man sighed and walked back inside. He started to take off his shoulder armor and cape, then his bracelets and gloves. He stayed in just his vest and light black blouse he had underneath. He went to the basin and filled it with the warm water. It smelled like lavender and Damian washed his face with it. Wearing all black under the warm sun and after a long night of travel, made it feel like the water was blissful against his skin. After drying his face, he decided to lay down on the bed while he waited. There was nothing he could but wait after all, might as well use the facilities given to him.

He just wanted all this to be done with.


	2. Chapter 2

“Master Damian.”

Damian jumped awake to see one of his guards at the foot of his bed.

“I apologize for disturbing your sleep, sir” He said. “But an Azarathian caretaker is here to see you.”

Damian simply nodded as he hung his legs to the side of the bed. He didn’t even notice he had fallen asleep. Upon looking at the window, he found that the sun was already starting to set; it was time for the ceremony.

He had to admit that the nap he had was the best nap he had ever had in his life. He actually felt rested.

A male caretaker walked in, and as he did, he took off his hood. In his arms was a satin sheet that he assumed that inside was clothes for him to wear.

“Greetings, Lord Damian,” The caretaker said. “My name is Colin and I will be your care taker for the time you are present in Azarath. For anything you need, I will always be here.”

Damian raised a questioning eyebrow at the man as he looked him over. Colin was probably about his age if not a little younger. His hair was a deep rich orange and his eyes were hazel. His whole face and hands were covered completely in freckles; and his smile was… genuine.

“I don’t need a caretaker,” Damian said as he stood up. “I can take care of myself.”

“Oh I know that, sir,” Colin said as he moved to set the clothes on the bed. “I’m just here in case you need anything or if you have any questions.” He then stood straight, hands joined together in front of him.

“I’m going to wear my own clothes,” Damian said then.

“Understood, sir,” Colin nodded.

Damian eyed the redhead one more time before deeming him harmless. He took his own clothes and started to dress himself. After his cape was in place and bracelets buckled, he nodded to Colin to take him to the ceremony.

“Nervous?” Colin asked sweetly as they walked; Damian’s two guards following behind.

Damian frowned and shook his head negative.

“Ah, you are about to meet the Azar, sir,” Colin continued. Was he skipping in his walk? “It is a great deal when seeing her for the first time. You might feel something inside your core, but it is okay. It’s just her amazing power washing over you. You’ll get used to it in seconds. Even more so if you are to spend your whole life together, don’t you agree?”

The young prince actually raised both his eyebrows. He had completely forgotten the last time someone spoke so fast and so relaxed to him before. It was a change; a… welcome change.

“You’ll love it here, or at least I assume. Everyone loves it here. There are animals and fruit and flowers and everything smells nice.” Colin said after a very small minute of silence. “Oh right, if I’m speaking too much please do say so, I do not mind to shut up.”

“Whatever,” Damian said shrugging one shoulder.

“Ah, great! During the ceremony I will be either beside you or right behind you. If you need anything, you can just snap your fingers or motion to me or even call me, and I will be there right away.”

As the night was falling, Damian saw the hooded Azarathians lighting the candles that were around the stairs and walls. The castle was starting to get brighter and brighter as they descended.

They didn’t go to the ground floor, but they did pass the floors in which Damian’s family would sleep for the night; he was informed that they were already at the banquet waiting. They walked into one of the hallways that did seem different from the other he had passed. This one had no entrances besides the one all the way on the back. This hall also smelled of food. Sweet and spicy scents invaded Damian’s nostrils in a way that made his mouth water very quickly. Only then did he realize how hungry he was.

When they reached the entrance, the young prince could hear chatter, laughter, music and steps. As the curtain that hid the banquet opened, Damian groaned inwards.

\-----*-----

The banquet chamber was as tall as the center of the castle, growing above the windows even further. The ceiling was hardly visible. The chandeliers came from above in chains, illuminated by candles that gave out flames of various colors. The room itself had three long tables that sat vertically from the entrance and in the front, a large table horizontally. There was so much food, of various colors and scents and shapes; and a big variety of drinks too, to match. And the people; oh the people laughed and chatted like there was no worry in the world. Back in Ghoul, if a person of high status passed by, the people would have to bow to them, but as Colin took Damian to his table, the people simply looked, smiled and whispered and chatted and laughed.

Damian saw his mother and father right away, sitting on the table horizontally, they weren’t happy. It was normal, really, for they were not used to such joyous atmosphere. Damian….was getting used to it.

At the center of the table were two unoccupied seats. As Colin directed him, he sat down next to his grandfather.

“Just get this over with Damian,” Ra’s Al Ghul said once Colin stepped away. “I’m already getting nauseous over so much… harmony”

“I assume you did not forget our agreement, correct?” Damian looked at his grandfather. “Upon my sight on her, I can refuse.”

“Yes, I’ve talked with her about that,” He answered, straitening his pose. “She seemed intrigued but accepted. I think she thinks that you will not say no.”

“Yeah, right,” Damian chuckled.

The Azar was yet to make an appearance. After a few minutes of waiting, Damian sign to Colin to come closer and when the redhead did, he looked at him.

“For how long do we have to wait?” Damian asked.

“For as long as necessary, sir,” Colin smiled. “But the Azar should be arriving anytime now.”

“Who are these people?”

“They are townsfolk, guests, apprentices, priests, yu name it, they are here.”

“Why?” Damian asked, frowning. He could see that his grandfather was listening too.

“Why not?” Colin chuckled. “These are Azarathians, and our queen is about to get married. It’s a joyous time to be celebrated by many and anyone who wishes to join. You do not have celebrations like these in your land, sir?”

“Our celebrations are more private.” Damian said as he sighed.

“Also, one more thing, if you wish so, please stand up when the Azar arrives.”

“I won’t,”

“Very well,” Colin said, bowed and disappeared to Damian’s back.

It just took a few minutes before the band of musicians changed their music and for the curtains of the entrance to open. Coming inside was a circle of children, that unlike the children he saw outside in the city, they were hooded. In the middle of the circle was a woman, also hooded, in a white cloak with golden designs around the edges. The cloak sat on the woman’s figure tightly, Damian could see that she was indeed already a woman, wide hips and full chest.

Damian looked at his grandfather sideways and he looked at his grandson for a slipt second too.

Was Damian going to accept or not?

The people in the banquet stood up from their seat and bowed as she moved closer to them, and stood straight as she passed. The laughter and chatter didn’t go away; they did the same as they were doing before the Azar came in. She came around the horizontal table and sat down right next to the young prince, her face still hidden.

After a few second, she signs to the people and they started to eat.

Damian turned to her, to have a look at her, to be able to say no and just be done from this strange place. And upon setting eyes on her, she turned to him too and Damian saw HER.

Striking blueish purple eyes, Damian wasn’t sure on the color, they looked like she had a galaxy inside her eyes. Her hair had fallen around her face as she moved and it was purple. Her hair was purple. Full lips smiled at him and Damian sucked in a breath.

She was beautiful.

The young prince looked away quickly and turned to his grandfather, who was waiting.

Damian could only nod in approval, although every part of his brain hated to lose. He couldn’t deny it; everything became 90% more interesting upon seeing her.

The banquet went on in silence on the horizontal table, Damian and his family ate as they watched the vertical tables having a full on blast. The Azar did not speak and didn’t eat either. Damian ate a little bit, he didn’t know if the food was enchanted, so he went in safely. Although his stomach and his taste buds were begging for more because, the food was incredible.

After a few hours, Damian’s head was about to explode. The noise people were making was starting to make his ears ring and his head hurt. He wasn’t used to such happiness around him. Made him uneasy.

Damian saw movement from the corner of his eye from the Azar, she turned to him and put her hand near his. They didn’t touch, but they were very close, close enough for Damian to feel her warmth.

“Walk with me please,” She whispered and stood up.

The young prince rose an eyebrow and stood up also, he glanced at Colin, who simply smiled and nodded. That guy just loves to smile.

The Azar took him to a door behind them and the door lead to a small garden that was full of bushes with various colored roses. It was night time, as dark as it could be. There were a few candles near the door, lit with purple colors, but beyond that, no more light.

Damian stayed on the defensive. Something told him that nothing wrong was going to happen, but he’s feeling like that for a while now and he didn’t like it. It’s when you least expect it that you’re more vulnerable.

Speaking of….

“Is this your sorcery?” Damian was the first to ask, when they were far from the entrance to the banquet.

“Excuse me?”

Oh her voice, like a melody; like the small waves crashing on a sandy beach. Like a rainy day in a calm, stay at home weekend. Like the tea to sooth the worries of mere mortals.

Because right now, Damian felt like a mere mortal.

“It has to be you,” He said, getting frustrated. “Ever since I step foot on the forest, this… calm and friendly atmosphere… I haven’t been the same since I stepped on your forest. You must have enchanted it, right?”

“Enchanted forest?” She chuckled as she bowed to smell a white rose. “I don’t have such power to enchant an entire forest.”

Damian frowned.

“I am not doing anything, young prince,” The Azar said as she looked at him. “My land is as pure as it was when no one lived here. Maybe that’s what you’re feeling? Maybe you haven’t felt anything as pure and as happy and you find it different in your heart? Simply because you’re not used to it?”

“I…” Damian was lost for words. Something that didn’t happen often either.

“Don’t worry about it,” The queen said. “I’m not doing anything, but if you wish, I can help you analyze these new feelings of yours? You say you felt calm? Perhaps because the forest is welcoming with its friendly nature? Maybe you’re not used to that? ”

Damian looked at the Queen with new eyes.

“Maybe, this is how you feel all along but it was suppressed by your land’s hate.”

“Hate?”

The Azar shrugged her shoulders and came closer to Damian, looking up at him. Damian was just slightly taller.

“I don’t know, I’m just throwing ideas.” She said at last.

“A-Azar, I am certain of myself. I know what I feel and how I should feel and coming here has been-“

“Raven,” The woman said.

“Hm?”

“My name is Raven. You can call me Raven, but only you.”

“Alright,” Damian said, his chest getting a little tight. She’s definitely using her sorcery on him. “What did we come here for?”

“I simply wanted to talk to you in private. Your grandfather told me that I was to marry either you or your uncle. Have you given him an answer yet?”

Damian looked away from her. She already knew the answer… with her sorcery.

“I hope I am to marry you and only you.” She said as she walked past him. “You’re more interesting.”

\-----*-----

The Azar and Damian left the banquet earlier. They both said their goodnights to Ras’ Al Ghul, Talia and Dusan, and additionally Colin, who Damian learned was to be his squire for the rest of his stay at Azarath.

The young prince walked alongside Raven, who said was bringing him to her chambers. That did not, definitely not, make Damian a little anxious. That was her magic. She was doing these things to him, for sure.

“When will you stop?” He said when they were halfway. She was taking him to a totally different part of the castle, one that he didn’t know. His hand rest on top of his sword once again. ´

“Stop what?”

“Stop using your magic on me? Making me feel these… feelings.”

Raven laughed a little, covering her mouth with her white gloved hand. Damian’s heart skipped a beat at the laugh, it was like he was ready to melt right there.

“I already told you, I’m not doing anything.” She said.

“There it is again!”

“I swear to you, prince,” Raven looked at him then. “I’m not doing anything. Perhaps the calm atmosphere here makes your heart more at ease to feel what it wants to feel.”

Damian fell silent at that.

They continued to walk up the flight of stairs that seem to not end. Of course, the Azar’s chamber was on the very very top, on a complete different section of the castle from everyone else. It was illuminated by chandeliers on the wall that gave off a very serene calm environment with their purple light.

When they arrived to the entrance of the room, Raven pushed back the curtains and invited Damian inside. He still didn’t know what he was doing there, but something good couldn’t come out of this, could it?

The room itself was about 5x bigger than his own. The main structure was the same, marble walls, the two windows it has were as big as the wall itself covered by a thin sheet of satin. The bed was as big as the wall too, with many pillows and also covered with satin from all around it. On the other side were a counter with a basin and a jar with water. There was a small space in the middle of the room, circled by candles that Damian guessed was where Raven meditated.

“Why did you bring me here?” He said as he stood near the entrance and she walked in.

“If we are to marry, I guessed that it would be appropriate for you to see me as me. I cannot take off my hood outside of my chamber, so…” She said as she took off the robe she wore along with the hood and let it fall on the floor.

Under the robe, the Azar were a short white dress that had a small belt around her waist. It was tight on her skin and Damian could almost see everything, as if she wasn’t wearing anything. Her pale skin shone under the candle light of the room. Her purple hair danced freely with the wind that came through the window, it reached just below her shoulder blades. Her galaxy looking eyes were slightly darker under the poor light but even more beautiful that the little glimpse he had earlier.

“If this is too forward, please let me know,” Raven said as she hugged her shoulder. “We are very free in Azarath, I do not know about Ghoul.”

Damian simply shook his head. His mind was blank taking in all of her.

She was truly a godly sight.

“Why can’t you take off your hood outside of your room?” He asked finally, after a few seconds of silence.

“I am the Azar; I have to set an example.” She said and it almost felt like her voice turned sad. “I am the most powerful sorcerer in this land and I have to keep my head hidden. Some say that if they look at my face, they will die just because of my sheer power. Myths, I assure you. Otherwise you’ve already perished.” She chuckled.

Damian looked away from her then. He didn’t believe in such thing, he just needed a second to compose himself.

“It does not please you?” She asked and Damian looked back up. She was near him now, and he didn’t even hear her! Then he looked and saw that she was floating. “My looks, they do not please you?”

“It’s not that,” He said rather quickly. He couldn’t catch himself there. “I mean, you’re… good looking.” Damian said finally.

Raven smiled and set her bare feet on the ground and walked away.

“We are to get married, I know you do not like it, and I am here assuming that you took the proposal and not your uncle, of course,” She said as she moved her hair away from her back into her chest. Damian could see her back now, smooth and pale under the thin dress. “but I want to make this as pleasant to you as possible. Marriage is a big deal and… it has always been a dream of mine, since I was a child.”

“I’m sure getting married was not on your life expectations. You were trained to kill, not to be a husband. I’ll try to make it easy for you as much as possible.”

“We barely need to see each other, just with that I’m fine.” Damian said finally.

“Oh so you did accept marrying me,” Raven said turning around and smiled. “I’m glad for that. However, I do not want a marriage that is just that… I want more. And I’m willing to try to know you and make this work. Are you with me? Just one chance, if it doesn’t work we do it your way.”

Damian wanted to say no, he’s in it because he had to. He didn’t want to make friends or to be truly lovers. However, his body deceived him and he nodded to her proposal.

“That’s great,” Raven said and started to braid her hair. “I look forward to know you, Damian.”

Damian gasped lightly the way she said his name. It was so smooth that he almost forgot about the “bad” he has done in life. The killing and the torture he had done in others seemed almost forgiven. Although he didn’t seek such thing… yet.

“Colin is already outside waiting to take you to your chambers. Also, if you don’t mind, I’ll ask a healer to check your wounds,” Raven said as she put on her robe again and hid her face with her hood. “Colin?”

At that Colin walked in and bowed to the Azar.

“How did you know I was wounded?” Damian asked before leaving.

“I’m an empath, I can feel what you feel. And even you don’t feel as much, I’m guessing you’re used to pain, it’s there. I feel it.” Raven explained. “Colin ask for a healer to pass by Da- the young prince’s chambers to heal his wounds.”

“Certainly,” Colin said before bowing again and uncovering the entrance to let Damian through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been sick lately, and I don't have a beta reader. So if you see anything wrongly written or badly phrased, let me know. I'm sorry and thank you!


	3. Chapter 3

“Good morning, Master Dami- oh you’re already awake.” Colin said as he entered Damian’s room.

Damian was already up and was standing at his window. He simply wore his pants, his torso being bare to the world. His wounds were already scared and barely so, healed by the Azarathian maid that came the night before. He had already had showered too, so his tanned wet skin shone with the morning sun that bathed him in a warm light.

The young prince turned to his squire and nodded. Colin was still the same. Smiling and with white robes., a great contrast against his rich orange hair.

“Would you like to wear your regular outfit or would you like to try out one of our robes?” Colin asked as he walked to where Damian’s clothes lay.

“I’ll wear my tunic only today, with my leather arm braces and the belt that has my sword.” Damian said calmly. He had slept well that night, strangely so since it has been ages since he had such a calm sleep.

“Very well,” Colin said and grabbed the clothes and belts.

Although not needed, Damian let Colin help him dress into his lime green tunic and buckling his belt and the leather arm pieces. While doing so, he noticed that his squire was a bit too close to him, to his skin; he touched him more than necessary. Damian thought that it was simply their ways to do things, little regard for personal space? Or maybe Damian’s bubble was simply too large and he was making a fuss out of nothing. But his conversation with Raven the night before made him look into things differently.

Maybe Colin was simply comfortable with him already. Given his easy outgoing personality, Damian wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. However, something told him there was more.

Damian didn’t believe in love at first sight. Those were stuff of fairy tales that his mother forbids him to read. But he knew what love is. He saw it in the training grounds between trainees, he saw sometimes between his guards when they thought they weren’t being observed. He also had a crush as a child with his fight mate, a girl whose name he never learned. She was dead already, by his hands. It was hard but he got over it quickly. After that, he realized his mother was right about love. It’s a burden in people’s mind that doesn’t let them think straight. And in his life, Damian needs to think straight.

More reasons for him not to let his guard down around the Azar. She was far too… great. Unfortunately, he was sure to fall in no time if this keeps going like this. He was going to keep this at a minimum; for as long as he can.

“The Azar has requested your presence.” Colin said when he was done with Damian. “Along with the rest of your family.”

As Colin guided him through the castle again, Damian made sure to remember every turn they took, to make in his mind a map of this maze castle. So many stairs and hallways and doorless entrances. The all looked the same, the marble, the chandeliers, the hallways, it was gonna be hard, but Damian had done harder.

Colin took him to the same place as the banquet from the night before. The vertical tables were no longer there, the people and music gone too. Only the windows with satin curtains and banners with the Azarathian symbols remained; along with the horizontal table, where Raven and a handful of other people sat at.

His grandfather was already there along with his mother and uncle.

“Welcome back, young prince,” The Azar said once Damian stopped besides his grandfather. “I hope your night was pleasant.”

Damian simply nodded.

“I believe your grandfather has something to tell you, before I say the plans for today.”

The young prince then turned to his Lord and he bowed slightly to Damian, to whisper in his ear.

“I cannot take this atmosphere any longer; I am leaving back to Ghoul. “ He said. “You stay here, do what you have to do and return to us as soon as possible, understood?”

“Yes Grandfather,” Damian said as Ra’s stood up straight again and he bowed his own head.

“Your mother and uncle are coming with me to Ghoul as well,” He said then. “I believe if something were to happen, you would be fine on your own with your two guards.”

Damian nodded.

“Very well,” He said and then turned to the Azar. “I shall return to Ghoul at once, I have matters to attend. “I will leave my grandson in your care.”

“He is going to be treated as a soon-to-be Lord as expected.” The Azar answered. “Worry not for him, he is well in here.”

As Damian’s family left the chamber, his mother passing by him with a hand on his cheek, the young prince felt a little anxious. He was alone now, everything had to be done by his own hands alone. Some part of him told him that nothing wrong was going to happen, it was actually quite the contrary; but the saying that the more at ease you are the better target you become stuck in his head on repeat.

The young man stood in the same place for a few minutes, silence filling the room entirely; somehow he didn’t feel awkward, he just looked at Raven who looked back with a small smile on her lips. He couldn’t see more than that under her hooded robe.

“Well, the plans for today are quite simple, I want to go for a walk in the forest or gardens, your pick, and I want to chat. I want to know about you.”

Damian sighed discreetly. The strategy to keep it at a minimum just became a bit more difficult.

“Walk with me?” Raven said as she stood up and walked up to him.

Damian wanted to slap himself when he offered his arm for her to take.

‘Keep it at a minimum’ He told himself.

“So, garden or forest?” She said as she walked him out of the chamber. He noticed that his guards followed them as well, along with Colin. She didn’t seem to have guards of her own.

“Forest,” He said. If something happened he could run into the forest and follow the mountain. He would be home in a couple of days on foot.

“Very well, we’re going to pass by the city,” Raven said as they descended the stairs. “People are going to gather to have a look at us, they will not talk because of me… but it’s fine.”

Once they left the castle, what Raven said was done. People did gather around them, chatted and bowed, smiling happily.

Once outside the city and out of the Azarath entrance, they went into the forest. Raven continued to take the lead so instead of following the beaten path, she took them between the trees. It didn’t take long for animals to approach them. Damian recognized the huge black dog that he saw the day before, he stood tall, tail wagging as even he bowed to the Azar.

Raven let go of Damian’s arm, much to his heart dismay, and kneeled down around the animals. Cats, dogs, deer and stags gathered around her like she was one of those fairy tale princesses. Just because his mother didn’t let him read those books, didn’t mean that he actually never read them.

At some point, a couple of birds sat down on Damian’s shoulders and a squirrel was starting to climb his way up his leg. The black dog sat down next to him, nuzzling his hand for pets. The young prince did so and the dog’s tail started to wag so roughly that he was starting to make a small cloud of dirt.

Damian looked back at the princess when he heard her chuckle.

“You like animals I see,” Raven said as she stood up. “And they like you too. You know, animals in here only approach a kind soul. You may not believe it, but you are generous and kind.”

Damian frowned at her words. ‘Kind and generous’ were never words people used to describe him. It almost felt like an insult. Almost… because from her, nothing seemed wrong in the world around him.

‘Minimum!’ Damian yelled inside his head.

“I guess,” He said finally.

“Colin, it is fine for you to go back to the castle, Damian will be fine with me,” She said although they couldn’t see Colin or Damian’s guards. “Will you please say the same to your guards? I would like to take off my hood. I promise nothing bad is going to happen or you can have my throat.”

Damian thought about it for a hot minute but complied. With a flick of his hand, his guards showed up, bowed and disappeared.

“Thank you,” Raven said as she took off her hood, and freed her hair from the robes contains. “I wanted to have a good look at you while in our walk.”

“How do you know they truly left?”

“Like I said before I’m an empath, I can feel when people are around or not.”

“I see,” Damian said. “Is that why you don’t have guards of your own? Because of your sorcery?”

“Sorcery…. I prefer to call it magic, sounds less scary, don’t you think?” Raven said as she hooked her arm around his and continued to guide him. “But yes, it is. I’m strong enough to take care of myself without any help.”

“How did you become the Azar?” Damian asked then.

“Oh, so it’s not only me that wants to know more about the other,” Raven smiled. “You are curious about me too. I was wondering if the curiosity was mutual or not.”

“Aren’t you an empath?”

“Yes, I am but I can control my powers. I’m not always checking your feelings 24/7. I give people around me their privacy of course.”

“I see….” Damian said as he spotted a small glass greenhouse.

“The reason I became the Azar was...” She started. “I was to be the Azar since birth. Let’s say that my mother gave her life for me and that strengthen the magic inside me.”

Damian hummed in understanding.

“Maybe one day I’ll tell you the full story, it’s too grim to say it now,” Raven said. “What about you?”

“Well, I don’t have any magic in me,” He started to say. “There really isn’t much to say about me. I know how to handle any type of weapon, I can survive in the wilderness… I-I don’t know what else to say.”

“How do you know all that while still being so young?” The woman asked.

“I trained since I was a child, and there could not be mistakes under my grandfather’s eyes. I either got it right or I got punishment.”

“You got punished?” She said with sadness in her voice. “Sounds horrible.”

“I didn’t get punished that often, I guess I got the talent my family wants.”

“I see.”

“What else can you do? With your… magic.” Damian asked then.

“Pretty much anything and nothing at all.” The Azar said.

“You’re full of mysteries,”

“And you have nothing to hide,”

Raven looked up at Damian and he looked back at her. She was smiling faintly at him, her galaxy eyes so deep that made him wonder how were they real.

“I-I have plenty to hide,” Damian said and unhooked her arm from his. “You speak as if I know nothing of the world.”

“Apologies,” The woman said as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “I don’t mean to offend you.”

Silence feel in between them both, with only the animals that were still following them making sure they didn’t actually go deaf.

“Would a demonstration of my magic make you happy?” Raven asked them and put her hands together. She wanted for his answer though.

Damian couldn’t deny that he was super curious. He was already curious by nature; he wanted to do everything and to learn everything.

His brain kept telling him ‘minimum, minimum,’ but in the end he nodded and got closer to her.

When Raven opened her hands, inside was a small dark sphere that shone with purple light. She let go of said sphere and it broke just above them, letting fall small starts around them both. She smiled at how her magic behaved and looked up at Damian, who was already looking at her.

“Not impressed?” She asked a little disappointed.

“It’s not that,” Damian said. “I don’t know what’s going on with me; I’ve never felt this before. It’s like I have no control over my feelings anymore. Can you help me?”

“Help you? With your feelings?”

“I just want to know whats going on, and something tells me it’s because of you. Are you sure you’re not meddling with my feeling through your magic?”

“Yes, Damian,” Raven nodded. “I am sure.”

They both stayed like that for a moment, looking at each other, close to each other with the magical rain around them still.

“Your magic is impressive, I like it.” Damian said after a while. “What else can you show me?”

Raven smiled sweetly.

“In time, I can show you things no one has ever seen but me.” She said. “I can’t wait to share more with you. However for now, I can do this.”

Raven’s hands started to shine with a purple light and all of a sudden Damian lost his footing on the ground. He gasped as he looked down at his feet and he was no longer keeping himself up, he was floating. It felt like he had too much freedom and he started to get a bit anxious.

“Relax, I’m right here,” The sorcerer said as she held Damian’s hands in hers.

The young prince looked at Raven and noticed that she too was floating. Her hands were warm on his and very reassuring too. He instantly felt calm with her holding his hands, although part of him suspected that part of it was her magic too.

“How high can we go?”

“You like challenges?” Raven smiled. “So do I, however I can be seen so for now, we’ll stay low.”

“That’s fair,” Damian said with a nod.

Raven put them put down on the floor again and was about to let go of Damian’s hands, but he was quick to grab them back.

“I have blood on my hands.” Damian admitted. He felt like he could say everything and anything to her and she wouldn’t go away. “I have killed before, since I was a child and I’m still expected to kill as I grow older. It’s the way of Ghoul. It’s my Grandfather’s way.”

“I know,” Raven nodded with her sympathetic smile.

“…How?”

“I figured,” She said. “You always carry your sword around. And besides, I did send Litle to your land to teach you some things. He’s told me what he’s seen. The training grounds, the village. There’s a lot of blood in your land, I figured that some was spilled by you too.”

Raven moved her hands around Damian’s and in that way, they danced with each other; their hands slowly knowing each other.

“Killing is all I know; killing, fighting… I grew up with that, all of my 18 years. And somehow I feel like that is bad. That I’m a villain under your eyes and I… I don’t want to be.”

Frustrated by his own words, he let go Raven’s hard rather brutally.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me!” He said angrily. “Ever since I stepped on this land its like I don’t know myself anymore. I feel things I’ve never felt and even worse, I feel… good. It’s like I’ve never been okay before I came here.” He put his hands on his head and ruffled his hair. “It’s like in my land, back in Ghoul I’m a person I’m used to being… and in here, I am what I am. And I’m a person I’ve never met.” He then turned to her. “What are you doing to me?”

“I already told you, I’m not doing anything. My land is pure. There’s no blood or hate in my city, as you can see the wild animals come to us because they don’t know violence. You were born in violence but you’re not violent. Deep inside, you are kind and generous soul. And in here, it’s letting itself show.”

“My true soul,” Damian repeated to himself.

“It’s free here,” Raven said and walked up to him, slowly putting her hand on his hair and smoothing it. “You can be yourself here, there’s no pressure for you to be whatever you are in Ghoul. You are safe here.”

Damian sighed and relaxed. What she said made sense to him.

Maybe, for 18 years his real self was contained inside so he would be accepted by his family and now that he was here, in what she calls “pure land”, his soul felt free.

“Feel free to discover your true soul in here for as long as you want.” Raven said as she rested her hand on his cheek and at that moment, he couldn’t contain himself.

She helped him, she made him better and its only been 2 days and it felt like they’ve known each other for longer than that and…. He couldn’t help it and lean forward and press his lips to hers.

It was quick and nervous and shy and as soon as they touched, he leaned back again. However, his face was held by her pale hands and guided him back to her own lips.

This time, it was longer and had so much feel in it that Damian felt overwhelmed somehow. He liked it. He liked the feel of her smooth hands on his face, he liked her smooth lips against his own rough skinned lips and her body pressed against his, how she tiptoed to reach him better.

Damian was the first to step away, but as he did so he held her hands in his own.

“I… I’m sorry,” She said.

“No, you don’t have to apologize… Everything I’ve learned goes against what I’m feeling right now, I need time to process.”

“I understand.”

“I enjoyed this time together, I hope we can do it again, later.”

Raven smile was small but sincere. At that they walked back to the castle.

\-----*-----

Damian skipped lunch; he told Colin that he would stay undisturbed in his chambers until further notice. He wanted to use this time to think about he had discussed with Raven, about his real soul, the so called kind and generous. He never felt he was any of those things; those words were like taboo back in Ghoul. And in here, Raven had said them so… naturally. Like he could really believe them and be them. Be what he was supposed to be all along.

Hours felt like minutes to him and his thoughts, and soon it was night time. He felt somehow better now, analyzing his own feelings with Raven brought him peace inside his mind and body. And now that he had processed it all, he felt better. But he also felt hunger and so he decided to venture outside his room. By the entrance, like always, were his two guards but Colin was nowhere to be seen.

Damian then decided to venture by himself but as soon as he took a few simple steps, he heard someone running in his direction. It was Colin.

“You weren’t trying to go by yourself through the castle, were you Master Damian?” He asked as he came closer to the prince.

“You read my mind,” Damian admitted.

“I don’t read minds, I don’t have such power, or power at all.”

“I thought besides my squire you were an apprentice too,” Damian said confused.

“Sorcery is not the only thing you learn here,” Colin said putting his hands on his hips as if he was scolding. “I’m learning the art of meditation; you see I have anger issues.”

At that Damian chuckled.

“I’m serious, Master Damian!” Colin said a bit offended. “I do have anger issues along with others, and meditating helps me a lot to keep control.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, I also have an incredible fear of bats! That’s why you won’t see me outside during the night, no matter what!”

“We’ll see about that, maybe I can change that in you,” Damian said with a side smile.

“I highly doubt, as long as you don’t hurt me, sir, you can try,” Colin laughed. “I assume you left because you’re hungry? I informed the Azar that you refused food or company, she seemed to understand, so she said that once you were out of your room to prepare a tray of food. I have that waiting in the kitchen, I can bring it to you if you’d like?”

“I’ll go with you instead, I don’t mind eating in the kitchen.” Damian said shrugging his shoulders.

“W-What? I never ever before heard a lord request to dine in the kitchen.” Colin said but guided Damian to the kitchen anyways.

“I want to know the castle,” Damian said. “Show me what you can.”

“Oh alright,”

While Colin guided Damian to the kitchen, he would point to certain hallways and explain where they lead them. Mostly, the castle served as a kind of sanctuary / school for those who wished to learn. They taught meditation, magic and potions for healing mostly, but they were open for other small instructions. There were also a lot of gardens with multiple exotic flora, a small farm and even a playground for children. The castle’s main entrance was always open; Damian thought that that could be a danger but it appeared that it has been like that for centuries and nothing has happened to change its ways so he left it at that.

Colin also told him about the monks and how the city was not only ruled by the Azar, but yes by a group of people they called the Order. The Azar would give the final word of course, but the Order gave the ideas and other decisions that the Azar couldn’t be bothered with. The Order was also the ones that picked the Azar.

When they reached the kitchen, they were already working on fixing dinner for those who lived in the castle. The tray of food Colin talked about earlier was there too and Damian started to eat right away. He hadn’t had much food since he arrived at Azarath and his body was starting to ache from the lack of nutrients.

“So, what else would you like to know about Azarath?” Colin asked as he watched the young prince eat. “I can show you around town if you like?”

“I will accept that, yes,” Damian nodded thinking over. “The city seems very… joyful. A great contrast from Ghoul now that I think about it.”

“Oh, well, I would love to show you around. Not now though, it’s night time.” Colin said quickly. “I don’t go out at night time.”

“Why not start now?” Damian said. “You said I could try. Besides, what could happen? I’m a trained assassin, I can defend both you and me.”

“Assassin?” Colin asked surprised and only then has Damian realized that more than half of the people working on the kitchen had stopped too. “Like, you kill?”

“I-I mean, I’m not going kill of course,” Damian defended. “It’s what we’re called, I… I won’t kill anyone, you have my word.”

“I see,” Colin said thoughtful. “That sounds kinda cool, not gonna lie. I wish I was as strong as you, I mean even with a little I would be fine.”

Colin walked closer to Damian and put his arm next to the young prince’s.

“My arm is half of yours!” Colin said. “If I was strong I wouldn’t have to depend on so much.”

“You don’t have to depend at all, Colin,” Damian said as he finished his meal and cleaned his mouth with a warm cloth. “You can train, meditate at your will I guess, but exercise, a rigorous training everyday would work for you easily.”

“Will you train me?”

“If I have the time, why not?”

“That would be great!!” Colin smiled brightly and clapped his hands together in excitement. “I… I have a lot of problems. Mental ones…. I- I never thought that they could be fixed until I came here.”

“Is that why you’re here and not in the city?”

“That and the bats! There’s no bats in here,” Colin chuckled. “But mostly yes, I was a very troubled child when I was younger. I had a lot of panic and anxiety attacks. I self-harmed myself a lot too and not many people could make me feel at ease enough for me to stop. Restraining me was always a no-no. It was hard.”

“But when I came here, when my family left me here actually, things became a bit better. My attacks are further away for each other and they aren’t as intense anymore. There are some things that still trigger me but I’m better now. I’m happy here.”

“What happened in the beginning? That cause everything.” Damian asked, now more curious and invested in Colin’s story.

“I don’t know, maybe my brain blocked the memory that cause all this. It’s doing more harm than not, really, because without knowing the source it’s hard to know the cure. However, I’m schedule to a hypnosis appointment! I’ve been waiting to be of age so I could have it, and now I am!”

“Let me know how it goes,” Damian said with a side smile. “If you want of course.”

“Of course, Master Damian,” Colin said. “Thank you for caring.”

Caring. Damian never thought he could care about someone besides himself. His mother had taught him that caring for other was a waste of time and a way to slow him down. Right now, it just felt right. It felt right to care about those who care for him, the same way. For now, Damian just went with the flow and let his soul free.

“Would you like to continue the tour?”


	4. Chapter 4

“So tell me, should I make this a continuous thing? Early morning walk with my future husband?”

“If you so wish, I would not mind.” Damian answered with a small chuckle.

This morning, Raven and Damian were in one of the floor gardens. This one had what Raven called them, Violas. They ranged in many different colors, but the ones Damian was attracted to the most were the purple ones. They, in all their beauty, reminded him of her.

“I heard Colin took you to a small tour through the castle.” Raven said after picking one flower up. It was already dead.

“You hear everything that happens in the castle?”

“Well, the castle is mine… besides; Colin is a talker in case you haven’t noticed.” Raven chuckled as she turned to him.

She wore the same clothes as always, this time however, she had to keep the hood on for there were gardeners around them.

“I have noticed that, yes,” Damian agreed. “He’s a good squire though, keeps good company.”

“Oh, did your soul tell you that?”

“You’re going to make fun of me now?”

“I would never!” Raven laughed. “Apologizes if I made you uncomfortable...” She didn’t seem the least apologetic.

“Yes, sure,”

They walked together through the flowers, bushes and trees. It wasn’t as vast like the forest; it seemed like a roofless greenhouse of some sort.

“Where you born and raised here?” Damian asked after a moment of silence.

“Getting curious,” Raven mused. “Yes, born and raised. My mother died giving bith to me, like I said before. I was raised by the cleric folk of the castle and when I reached adulthood, I became the Azar.” As she was talking her voice got emotionless.

“It seems to me that you don’t really enjoy being the Azar,” Damian said as he stopped walking.

“Are you sure you don’t have magic inside you?”

“I don’t need powers to know it,” He admitted. “It shows on how you talk about it and how you say it.”

“I just… I just wanted to be normal. I didn’t ask for these powers. They are a great deal, and I do have fun with them from time to time but… the rest? I could live without.” Raven said as she stopped walking. “I wanted a normal childhood, I wanted friends and to play, instead I trained my brain and magic, and meditated.”

“It seems we do have some things in common,” Damian said, stopping beside her. “I didn’t mean for you to recall bad memories.” He took her hands in his. “I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s alright, we are to know each other deeply, correct?” She said as she looked up at him and smiled. “Ask away, I am an open book to you.”

“And who else?”

“We are not married yet and I already feel your jealousy?” Raven laughed again.

Damian wasn’t jealous; he didn’t really meant what he had said. He just wanted to lighten up the mood and it worked. He loved to hear her laugh.

“Speaking of which, and I am not trying to fasten the process, I’m just wondering,” Damian said as he looked at their hands together. “When is the marriage to happen?”

“As soon as your Grandfather says so,” Raven said. “He already has the green light from Azarath. I thought you knew that.”

Damian frowned at that information. He did not know that, actually. He thought that the fact that he had accepted on the banquet would be enough. He had to go back to Ghoul and find out what’s stopping the marriage. Somehow he had a bad feeling about this delay.

And lately, he was starting to trust more his gut feeling than not.

“Is something wrong?” Raven asked him and he snapped back to reality.

“Did your magic tell you that something was wrong?” He asked smiling.

“No, your face did.” Raven smiled back.

“There is nothing wrong.”

“I believe you.”

They stayed like that for a while, in their own silence. Their hands danced with each again, like the previous morning. They felt each other’s hands smoothly and caringly.

“Can’t you just stop being the Azar? Deny the title?” Damian whispered then, just between the two of them. “Free yourself? Be…”

“Happier? I wish,” Raven said and rest her forehead on Damian’s chest. She could hear his steady heart beat under the green tunic he wore. “I am the Azar since birth, I will die the Azar.”

“What if I kidnapped you?”

Raven laughed out loud at that. He was getting good at making her feel better despite the things they talked about.

“By all means, do try,” Raven chuckled at the thought. “But I am expected to fight your kidnapping.”

“Don’t dare me too much, I will do it.”

“Please do not, it just means more trouble and besides that, I would not be able to see you ever again.”

“And that would be bad,” Damian reinforced the idea.

“And that would be bad.” Raven repeated.

\-----*-----

After lunch, Damian’s hands were itching. He missed his morning mountain climb, he missed his training, to have his sword in his hand and just swig it around. After calling himself an assassin the night before, he noticed people would walk around him further. It’s like, just like himself that didn’t know anything about Azarath and its magic, they didn’t know about Ghoul and its killing. It felt like people were on edge around him.

Damian lay down on his bed, looking at the marble high ceiling while Damian changed his basin water. He was humming a strange melody that he had never heard before and he was almost asking him to actually sing. In all, Damian was bored of not doing his usual things.

“Colin?” He called.

“Yes?” Colin answered, walking closer to him.

“Do you have a physical training ground?”

“Does meditating count as a physical training? We have a floor for meditating alone if you want to try.”

“N-No, I mean, punch and kick kind of training.” Damian corrected himself. Of course Colin would go for the meditating.

“Oh no, we don’t really believe in physical fights. We use our knowledge to win our battles.”

Damian hummed in understanding. He had to find someplace where he could just feel the extension of his arm be swung around. Or maybe just climb something? A few trees , since there was no mountains nearby.

“Colin?” Damian called again.

“Yes?” This time, Colin appeared on the side of his vision, leaning in slightly to have a look at the young prince.

“I need to move, I need to train,” He said as he looked at the red head. “Is there anywhere where I can swig my sword freely?”

“Maybe in the forest? No, too many greenhouses, you would scare the gardeners. What about- no no, I would be in great trouble.”

Damian looked over at the red head and watched him think it over. Maybe he could go directly ask Raven to set a room for him, right? Damian should have thought about that earlier, the Azar is in some meeting with the Order right now. Speaking of which, he had to speak with his Grandfather and mother, know what the next step is. It wasn’t that he did not enjoy his mornings with Raven but something she said made his mind go another route; it was time to return, even for just a little while.

The young man sighed and sat down.

“I have to go back to Ghoul,” Damian said.

“You’re leaving?” Colin said, his voice rising a bit in surprise. “Because you can’t train? I’m sure I can get you a place if you give me an hour…”

“No,” Damian said and got up. “I need to go, talk with my grandfather, there’s something bothering me.”

“What is?”

Damian looked over at the redhead and frowned slightly. He didn’t mean to say that out loud, it was actually unusual for him to voice his thoughts. The fact that his mind is more open now is making him do things he would never do; returning now to Ghoul with these changes would make his family suspicious. Think that Azarath made him soft.

He didn’t enjoy that somehow. Although extreme, he would be cast away… or so he thought.

“Nothing, forget it.” Damian said as he shook his head. “Get my attire ready and warn my guards. I’m returning tonight.”

“Something tells me that you just decided that now and that the Azar does not know you’re going to go.” Colin said as he run to grab Damian’s armor and clothes. “Do you really have to go? I was getting used to have you here.”

“I’ll be back… hopefully,” Damian reassured as Colin put on his cape. “I’m just going to check something.”

“You can also send a letter” Colin said. “We have an aviary.”

“This has to be done face-to-face.”

“Alright, I won’t insist no more.”

Damian noticed how Colin’s whole endeavor was slow and his face screamed sadness. It didn’t sit well with him anymore. Before he came here, he wouldn’t even care but he has grown close to his squire, he even dared to call him a friend, if he was ever allowed such.

“I’ll be back,” Damian repeated. “I would invite you over but you won’t make it there.”

“I couldn’t anyways, I have my meeting soon.” Colin said as he buckled Damian’s sword to his hip. “After the meeting I might change, so when you come back I might be different. You won’t see me get there; you’ll just see two different people. The Colin you knew and the Colin wou’ll know.”

“What do you mean?”

“This meeting is going to change me, for the better or not, I don’t know.” Colin sighed as he looked over Damian, fully geared up. “It’s just that I expected to have more time with you, but now… its like…”

“I’m coming back. I have to get married, remember?”

Colin’s empty gaze locked on Damian’s eyes and it was like it was the last time they were seeing each other. It was like Colin didn’t believe his lie, although it wasn’t even a lie to begin with. His hazel eyes were telling him that what he was saying meant nothing. Lies.

Only now did Damian truly realize how damaged Colin actually is.

“Tell the Azar that I’ll be gone for a couple of days, alright? I’ll send an owl when I come back.”

Colin nodded.

\-----*-----

Damian and his guards were on their horses by the entrance of the sanctuary, waiting. The young prince felt a little bad that he was leaving without really talking to Raven about it. But the faster he went the faster he was back. Besides, he liked this thing and light air.

Colin was by the entrance too, stroking Damian’s horse and whispering. Damian decided to just leave him be…

“I’ll see you soon, Colin,” Damian said as he brought back his horse.

“No you won’t,” Colin said but Damian didn’t answer to that, he just left with his guards behind him.

Along the main road, people gathered around it to see Damian off. They waved and bowed as he left. He went full speed through the forest and even found that big black dog that seemed to always follow him whenever he went there.

\-----*-----

“Do you know why he’s leaving?”

“No,” Raven lied.

Sometimes, she just couldn’t help it and her powers went out and into someone’s emotions. She didn’t mean to but she did… that morning.

When she had said that she was waiting for the green light from Ra’s Al Ghul, it was like she felt in her own head Damian’s mind gears roll. Raven knew he was going to Ghoul to know what was holding up such an event. It was planned for months, so why was the Lord of Ghoul taking his sweet time?

Damian didn’t know either and that made him tense slightly. Raven felt it the moment it happened. Her power had gone and analyzed and now Damian was off.

\-----*-----

Damian arrived at Ghoul late at night. He rode through the dark empty city, a contrast of Azarath. There was no marble, only dirt, there were no candles, only darkness and there were no people, only silence. Since it was late at night, Damian assumed that people were asleep. The air here felt different too. He was gone for only a few days but his body was already feeling the differences… the air thick, the atmosphere heavy and the silence deadly. He liked what he felt new at Azarath.

The dog was still with him. It had followed him all the way from Azarath and to Ghoul. It ran close to Damian’s horse and never stopped unless he stopped. Somehow, it felt like Raven had sent the dog and allowed it to follow him all the way.

Upon reached the gates or the wall that surrounded his mountain castle, Damian and his guards slowed their paces and got off of their horses. At the entrance there were some other guards to take the horses from them. One of the guards shooed the dog.

“Leave him,” Damian said quickly. “He’s with me.”

The guard bowed and let the dog enter through the gates. Damian then got on one knee eyed the dog. It had sat down as soon as Damian reached his eye level. The young prince wondered its name but decided to go with one that would suffice for now.

“You’re Titus,” He said. “And you are mine now, got it.”

The dog barked. It was like the dog was intelligent and knew what commands were. Damian was surprised at that but satisfied too.

A maid walked up to him and whispered that he was being summoned to Ra’s chambers. Another contrast was that it seemed his maids and guards were always afraid on where to step, while in Azarath everyone was simply curious and daring.

Damian nodded at the maid and followed her to his grandfather’s chambers.

“What are you doing here?” Ra’s started as soon as Damian entered his room. “You were supposed to stay in there!”

“I have questions.” Damian said as he bowed. “I wanted to talk to you.”

“Send a raven then!” The Lord said, visibly upset. “This is ridiculous; you’re going to end up ruining everything.”

“If you’re talking about the marriage I doubt I’ll ruin it,” He answered.

“Then tell me what brings you here?”

“I want to know what’s keeping the marriage from happening. Something that has been arranged for months and in which only my answer prevented it from happening is now being delayed for something I do not know.”

Ra’s al Ghul chuckled and Damian swore he saw the maid next to him tremble.

“Excited to get married to the witch? Let me guess, you’ve been talking to her and she already cast a spell on you.” Ra’s said with venom in his voice. “Or better yet, the spell she put on you makes you feel different.”

Damian frowned slightly but remained in silence.

“I am correct?”

“No.”

“Oh but I am.”

Ra’s then sat down by his bed.

“Leave, I want to sleep,” The Lord said. “We’ll talk more in the morning.”

\-----*-----

His own room seemed weird to him now. Empty, closed and dark... It felt familiar and strange at the same time.

Instead of a high bed with pillows and satin sheets, he had a futon arranged on the floor and nothing else. His room was bare compared to his own on Azarath.

He took his cape and let the maid have it, another one coming in to take the rest of his clothes. He lay in underwear, his clothes gone to be washed. He wondered what Raven and Colin were doing right now. Something in his chest was heavy for Colin, he was worried. The redhead’s last words to him scare him him somehow and he was so sure he wasn’t scared of anything.

Damian wondered what Raven was going to do in the morning now that he wasn’t there. She had voiced that her meetings with the Order and monks were mostly boring to her. She did not enjoy them despite popular belief.

She enjoyed more to be in the gardens and forest around the animals and flora.

\-----*-----

“Attack Azarath?!”

“Please, Damian, you’re smarter than that to believe there was to be a real marriage.” Talia said as she rest a hand on her hip.

“The plan is simpler than we thought actually,” Ra’s Al Ghul continued. He sat down by his desk, the window behind him letting the sun shine through.

“The Azarathians are very much naïve. They are simple and weak people. I was afraid the sorcerers were going to be a problem but it seems they barely have any guards much less sorcerers. And even those are weaker than our ninjas; they can be manipulated easily.”

Damian remained silent, stunned.

“The problem is the Azar, she is big. But I’ve been thinking about our conversation from last night, grandchild.” The Lord stood up and walked around his desk, Talia looking at him confused.

“The fact that she might have put a spell on you when you were in Azarath might indicate that she has taken a like to you and is trying to make you love her.” Ra’s said the word _“love”_ with such venom that it was palpable. “You have her on your hand, Damian and we can take that to our advantage. We can use that resource.”

“Hm,” Talia agreed and nodded. “I didn’t expect anything else from my son.”

“Why keep this plan from me?” Damian asked, anger rising in his gut. “You did not trust me enough?!”

“It’s not that, child,” Ra’s said, he was getting annoyed. “The Azar can read mind and emotions, the blinded you are the better for us. She was to spend a lot of time with you, with you in the blind, the plan was safe.”

“That’s why you left earlier, so your minds couldn’t be read.”

“Now you’re catching up.” Talia smiled.

“I refuse to take part and go against Azarath.”

Silence fell on the room heavily.

“I don’t think I understand,” Ra’s said as he walked slowly to Damian. “Care to… repeat?”

“I.” Ra’s Al Ghul got closer to Damian’s face. “Refuse.”

Damian wasn’t fast enough to dodge as Ra’s hand slapped him across his face.

“You do not have the power to refuse or accept whatever you want, boy, you will take part on the attack.”

“What is the attack even for?” Damian said. He could feel the taste of blood inside his mouth. “For the magic? The sorcery? What does Azarath have that we don’t?”

“They have healthy people to raise our armies,” Talia said calmly. “Even more when we have the sorcerers on our hands, we’ll be unstoppable.”

“Against who? We’re the only civilizations…”

“Oh no, Damian, we are not,” Talia interrupted. “There is whole new world outside of Ghoul and Azarath.”

Damian frowned confused as he cleaned the blood that spilled from his mouth with his sleeve.

“We’re just hidden to better ourselves before we go out. We have people on the outside telling us that sorcery is very scarce and unique. With the amount of sorcerers in Azarath that we can control, the better we are of to be the greatest in the world.”

Damian shook his head as his hand travelled through his hair.

“You’re being serious,” Damian whispered, unbelieving of what he was hearing. “I don’t want to attack Azarath.”

“Get this boy to the dungeon IMMEDIATELY!” Ra’s al Ghul yelled and as soon as he said that, a group of assassins appeared on each side of Damian.

“Father,” Talia said quickly. “He’s being bewitched, we can…”

“NOW! Before he does something stupid.”

As soon as Damian felt hands on his arms, he was quick to act. He slid his arms away, brought out his sword and sliced the throats of the assassins in a simple wave of his blade.

“Damian, don’t!” Talia said but he was already out of the room.

“GET HIM!” Damian heard Ra’s yell as he turned on a corner.

\-----*-----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING:  
> BLOOD  
> MURDER   
> AND   
> SADNESS  
> AHEAD.  
> You can skip this chapter if you'd like, I'll post the next one very very soon.

The blood spilled on his face as he sliced another one of his own guards. He had a target on his head since he refused to attack Azarath. Foolish of him… to be so forward, to be so “spontaneous” like he wanted to be back in Azarath. He should have thought of his words carefully, he can’t be spontaneous here, this is Ghoul!

Maybe, if he had done this differently, he could have turn things around, better for both lands. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Damian fled the castle and into the open area, he knew it was dangerous but he had no other way out. Guards and ninjas were coming to him in full speed and Damian readied his sword, tightening his grip on the hilt. He ran into the open space and as soon as he stepped in, arrows came crashing around him. He twisted and swung his sword, braking a few arrows that would have hit him. Turning around, he swung his sword once more and sliced the neck of one ninja. He scooped the body up against his back to protect him against any more arrows as he fought his way out.

The gates were closed and there was no way he could open them. In a last effort, he dropped the dead body from his back and jumped on the shoulders of a guard who stood beside the gate. With the impulse, he jumped over the gate and front flipped outside. There, in the dark city of Ghoul, he blended in the shadows.

He fast walked around the city, as he heard the gates being open from behind him.

“Over here,” a child’s voice made itself be heard and Damian turned around, sword ready. “I’m trying to help you, come over here!” The child insisted.

Something about the child, maybe its innocence or the naivety, made Damian believe that the child was speaking the truth, and that he would not be hand over to his grandfather for a reward.

The young prince followed the child into a barn, lit by candles like in Azarath, next to a small house. In the barn was a horse, a cow and a donkey, with a few chickens walking around. Damian followed the child all the way to the back were they sat down behind the hay. Damian copied the movement and kneeled down in front of the child and listened.

The houses were being scanned. He could hear screams and cries from the people, and the sound ringed in his head and made his body tremble. His time in Azarath made his heart soft, he thought.

Damian’s grip on his sword tighten when he heard the barn’s doors open with brute force, he could hear few voices, one demanding to scan the barn and the other allowing it, but assuring that the prisoner was not inside.

Prisoner.

That’s his title now. Damian’s smiled sarcastically.

However, he didn’t have time to think about titles now, he was about to be found. When he was about to stand and fight, a small hand touched his knee and stopped him.

“Trust me,” The child said.

Only now did Damian look at the child. It was a girl, petite and very slim. She was about 7 years old but with her frame could be even older.

The guards started to slice the hay around them and Damian was quick to act, he lay down, on top of the child to protect her in case the sword sliced too low. Hay rained on top of them as it was sliced and Damian heard that the barn was clear from a guard that was dangerously near them.

Damian only stood up when he heard the fading footsteps and gates closing. The girl slid from under him and looked over. The barn was empty.

“You can come out now.” She said.

“Why did you help me?” Damian said as he cleaned his face with his sleeve. Dried blood of his enemies made the hay stick to his face. “Don’t I scare you?”

“I don’t even know who you are!” The girl giggled. “I just saw that you were in trouble and decided to help.”

Damian was surprised at that. And then he noticed that he never really walked around Ghoul. He barely left the castle. He didn’t know his people like Raven knew the people of Azarath.

Damian knew nothing of his land.

“What’s your name?” Damian asked as he stood up.

“I’m Kori,” She said as she walked away and peaked at a hole in the barn’s gate. “What’s your name?”

“Prisoner, apparently,” Damian said as he sighed. How was he going to get out of here? He needed to speak with Raven and fast. He needed to prevent this attack.

“That’s not a name, silly,” The girl smiled at him. “The cost is clear, the guard are scanning the houses ahead.

“I will never forget this, Kori,” Damian said as he kneeled down. “You have my word that I will make this better. If you have any request, please, do say so and I will do everything in my power to help you.”

“I do!” Kori said quickly. She held Damian’s bloody hands in hers as her eyes started to water. “Are you a magical person? I heard there is magic in the world.”

“I-“

“Please, save my sister!” Kori said quickly. “Please, help her or she will be killed. She’s one year older than me but she can’t fight! She can’t go to the camps!”

“Disabled? I can’t cure her,” Damian said. “It’s been ages since a disabled person was born here.”

“You really aren’t from here, are you?” Kori smiled sadly as her tears fell down her cheeks. “There’s disabled people being born everyday. I’ve seen mothers kill their new born babies because they don’t have a limb or eyes.”

Damian frowned in confusion.

“Mothers prefer to kill their disabled children before they can even know the world… because a death in the Black pit is even worse.”

“Black pit?”

“It’s what we call the place where the disable get sent to. There is few and fewer going there because people kill their off spring if they are not healthy enough. I’ve seen them do it. I’ve seen my mother kill my younger brother, he was blind, he didn’t have eyes. With my sister, my mother thought she had a chance but in the end, she doesn’t.”

Damian gasped.

The reason fewer disabled people were sent far from the land to die was because they were killed as infants… by their parents who would mourn until their last days.

Damian’s chest felt heavy on him all of a sudden and his clenched his chest as it hurt. He had no idea this was happening. He never bothered to go into his own town and see his own people. Yet, had be been here before he went to Azarath, would he even care as much as he does now?

No.

He wouldn’t.

“Kori,” Damian said and let go of his sword, letting it fall on the hay around them. “I promise you I will change this land. I will change this rule” He said as he tried to clean her tears but just ended up leaving a trail of blood on her cheek. “I will change Ghoul, for the better, that’s all I can do.”

“I’ll take it!” Kari said and hugged Damian. “Please mister Prisoner, please, help our people just like I helped you.”

“I will never forget what you’ve done for me.” Damian said. “I will be back.”

“Take the horse!” Kori said as she let go of Damian and ran to the horse, while cleaning her face. “He’s strong and loyal, he’ll take you out of here!”

Damian stood up and looked at the horse. It was quiet as the girl prepared it with a saddle.

“I can’t take your horse, Kori,” Damian said as he tried to stop her. “You’ll need it. Besides, how are you going to explain it to your mother?”

“I say he’s loyal because he runs away all the time but always comes back.” Kori said as she finished. “Believe me, once you’re away, just let him go and he’ll be back here in no time. Please Prisoner, take him. And fulfil your promise to me.”

Kori looked up at Damian, her green eyes shining with tears that it seemed she refused to shed. Her skin was tanned probably from the farm work she had to do during the day. Much like himself, she didn’t have a childhood.

“Thank you,” Damian nodded.

\-----*-----

Slowly and carefully, Damian rode in the dark of the city. The guards were already too far from where he was, scanning other farms. Kori had given him instructions that would take him outside Ghoul and with no run-ins with the guards or ninjas.

As fast as the horse could and as soon he was free, Damian rode into the mountains. The horse itself, named Goliath, was fast and strong just like the child had told him. Damian rode the mountains with only the moon light to guide him, dangerous, yes, but not impossible.

As soon as he reached the forest, he slid down from the horse and petted it, ready to let him go.

“Thank you,” Damian said as he pet Goliath’s head and pushed his own forehead to the horses. “I’ll be back Kori.” He whispered.

As soon as Damian let go of the reins, the horse turned around and ran. Damian watched as the horse rode into the mountains again, passing by a small figure that was approaching him. Damian’s fell on his sword for a moment before he realized it was Titus.

Damn it. He was so used to deal with his problems alone, he stupidly forgot the dog. His dog, the dog he named and the companion that never left him. Damian meets him half way and when he was just at arm’s length, the dog collapsed. Three arrows were stuck to his back, spilling blood as the dog struggled to breathe.

Damian’s eyes started to water as he watched the dog whine. He kneeled down to him, and petted his head. His torso moved brutally for a grasp of air. Titus was dying. In his arms.

“I’m sorry buddy,” Damian said as he let one tear fall down. “I’m so sorry Titus, I… I didn’t mean for this to happen.” He petted again the dog, carefully and slowly. “Oh, Titus…. Forgive me.”

Damian learned a lesson with Titus. Titus was loyal from the moment they saw each other, and even though Damian left him behind, the dog came to him. He came back to him despite his own wounds because Damian was the last person Titus wanted to see before dying.

“I’m so sorry buddy,” Damian cried as he kneeled and lay his head on the dog’s neck. The young prince brought out his sword and pushed it quickly through Titus chest, hitting his heart… a quick and painless death. “I’m so sorry Titus.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter because its a bit on the heavy side.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've been receiving so many good comments on my story, I'm delighted. Currently I'm fighting a long time illness and it forbids me to keep writing and uploading. I know I promised a chapter very soon and its in progress, but I didn't count on my disease to pick up right after. I'm sorry to those that are waiting for an update. I ask that you be more patient and to please do not give up on me. Thank you so much for the support and comments, I'im super happy and it helps me a lot to find the will to write.  
> Thank you everyone. Meanwhile, have some drawings I did of Damian, Raven and Colin some time ago.  
> I hope you like them!


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